Poinsettia plant named ‘Bkponai’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Bkponai’, characterized by its broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; large and full inflorescences with bright red-colored flower bracts and numerous cyathia; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKPONAI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bkponai’.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel and Maasdijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform and freely-branching Poinsettia plants with good postproduction longevity.

The new Poinsettia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 2009 in De Kwakel, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 2000417, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 2000430, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Poinsettia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in December, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Maasdijk, The Netherlands since March, 2012 has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bkponai’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bkponai’ as a new and distinct Poinsettia plant:

-   -   1. Broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Large and full inflorescences with bright red-colored flower         bracts and numerous cyathia.     -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more upright than and not as         broad as plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia and the female parent selection         differ in flower bract color as flower bracts of the female         parent selection are orange red in color.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more upright than and not as         broad as plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have lighter green-colored         leaves than plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia and the male parent selection         differ in flower bract color as flower bracts of the male parent         selection are pink in color.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Floasatur’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,230. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of ‘Floasatur’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more freely branching than         plants of ‘Floasatur’.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flower earlier than plants of         ‘Floasatur’.     -   3. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia are more rugose         than flower bracts of ‘Floasatur’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bkponai’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bkponai’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer and late autumn in 10-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Lier, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 18° C. and night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 16° C. Plants were pinched one time and were 22 weeks old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Bkponai’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 2000417, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 2000430, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 18 days at             temperatures about 19° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 17° C. to 19° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 17° C. to 19° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Broadly upright and uniformly             mounded plant habit; inverted triangle with rounded crown;             large full inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane;             moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 18.9             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 21.1             cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 32.6 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit, about six lateral branches develop after             pinching. Length: About 12.8 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 7 mm. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Angle: About             40° from vertical. Color, when developing: Close to 146C; at             the internodes, close to 144B. Color, developed: Close to             between 146B and 147B, tinged with close to 177A and 177B.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 10.3 cm. Width: About 7.3 cm. Shape: Ovate to roughly             deltoid. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire;             occasionally with a single shallow lobe. Venation pattern:             Pinnate. Texture and luster, upper surface: Slightly rugose,             glabrous; moderately glossy. Texture and luster, lower             surface: Slightly rugose, glabrous; matte. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: Close to between 137A and 141A             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than between 139A and             N189A; venation, close to 175A and 175B. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to NN137D; venation, close to             176B to 176C. Petioles: Length: About 4.1 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color,             upper surface: Close to 187A to 187B. Color, lower surface:             Close to 183A to 183B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Large full inflorescences are             compound corymbs of cyathia with bright red-colored flower             bracts subtending the cyathia; one inflorescence per lateral             branch with inflorescences positioned above and beyond the             foliar plane.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during the             late autumn to winter under long nyctoperiod conditions;             inflorescence initiation and development can be induced             under artificial long nyctoperiod conditions; response time             is about 70 days.         -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production             longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good             substance and bract color for about 30 days; flower bracts             not persistent.         -   Inflorescence width.—About 19.4 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 8.5 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About twelve.             Length: About 9.8 cm. Width: About 7.4 cm. Shape: Ovate.             Apex: Apiculate. Base: Broadly acute to obtuse. Margin:             Entire to very slightly repand. Aspect: Slightly upright to             horizontal. Venation: Pinnate. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Slightly rugose, glabrous; matte. Color:             Developing bracts, upper surface: Close to 46B. Developing             bracts, lower surface: Close to 46C. Fully expanded bracts,             upper surface: Close to N45B; venation, close to N45B; color             does not fade with development. Fully expanded bracts, lower             surface: Close to N45C; venation, close to N45C; color does             not fade with development. Bract petioles: Length: About             1.9 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color, upper             surface: Close to 187B. Color, lower surface: Close to 185A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About eight. Length: About             1.3 cm. Width: About 6.5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture and             luster, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Color, developing, inner surface: Close to N144B; towards             the apex, close to 152C. Color, developing, outer surface:             Close to 144C; towards the apex, close to 145A and 53A.             Color, fully developed, inner surface: Close to 144C;             towards the apex, close to 183B. Color, fully developed,             outer surface: Close to 143A and 143B; towards the apex,             close to 45A. Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: Typically             two. Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape:             Club-shaped. Texture and luster, inner and outer surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, developing, inner and outer             surfaces: Close to 145B. Color, fully developed, inner and             outer surfaces: Close to 151C to 151D.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm to 4 mm. Diameter: About             2.5 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: Erect to about             30° from vertical. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             glossy. Color: Close to 144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium:             About 20. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close             to 47A. Anther shape: Club-shaped. Anther length: About             1 mm. Anther color: Close to 183A to 183B. Amount of pollen:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 14A to 14B. Pistils: Pistil             development has not been observed on plants of the new             Poinsettia. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit production has             not been observed on plants of the new Poinsettia. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettia plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate high temperature about 35° C. and to be     suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 12. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘Bkponai’ as illustrated and described. 